


The Unmourned House I: One-Clan-Under-Moon-and-Star

by kairixxehanortxlover



Series: The Unmourned House [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Elder Scrolls Online, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ashlander Tribes, Great Houses, House Dagoth, House Dres, House Hlaalu, House Indoril, House Redoran, House Telvanni, Multi, Past Lives, Politics, Survivor Guilt, Tribe Ahemmusa, Tribe Erabenimsun, Tribe Urshilaku, Tribe Zainab
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 20:41:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9288797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kairixxehanortxlover/pseuds/kairixxehanortxlover
Summary: Nobody knew where the Nerevarine had gone after she had saved Morrowind from the looming threat of Dagoth Ur. What only she knew, was that she was trapped in an Outer Realm for who knows how long, and she was then suddenly thrown back into her homeland of Vvardenfell. Discovering that it was buried beneath ash, she set out for where the other Dunmer fled, and was soon arrested for crossing the border illegaly. After months of going around, saving Nirn from Alduin, stopping the vampire threat from the Volkihar Vampire Clan and freeing the island of Solstheim from the shadow of Miraak, the first Dragonborn, she went back to her kindred to hold to her promises. What she didn't know, was that soon she would have to choose either the side of the one's who betrayed Indoril Nerevar or the one's that always held steadfast loyalty to him, even when he had struck them down. A choice only she will be able to make...





	1. By My Ancestors

_"Does anybody else feel like running?!"_

_After the display that I just witnessed? No. The other Imperial soldier then looked to me. "You there, step forward."_

_I did as he asked, and looked down at him. Ha, what a funny world, where I was taller than a Nord. Not that he was tall by any means. "Who are you?"_

_I breathed in and out. "My name is Nera'Vaé Indarys and as you can see, I'm a Dunmer."_

_My voice was rougher than most Dunmer voices. That was because I sat in the Imperial City Prison for years on end, sometimes being tortured, and screaming during it. Most Dunmer thought I came from the Molag Amur because of that. The Nord looked to the Imperial. "Her name isn't on the list. What should we do?"_

_Haha, he's like a little puppy needing guidance. "Forget the list. She goes to the block too."_

_I furrowed my eyebrows. Funny, considering the last time I died was somewhat 50 years ago. And shortly after that, I had returned alive with my soul intact. The Nord looked at me sadly. "As you wish, Captain. I'm sorry, we'll make sure your remains are taken to the Ancestral Tomb of your ancestors."_

_I grunted. "Thank you. You're alright, for an Imperial Soldier that is."_

_I turned around at that, and walked forward to the other prisoners. My nose curled at the stench of the Nords. They smelled like they hadn't bathed in months. Caius Cosades wasn't much better during my first days on Vvardenfell. Only he smelled like skomma too. And that was even worse. My head soon found the block, and the air thundered. My red eyes widened in awe at the sight descending over the mountains. A... dragon?! It crashed onto the tower in front of the block, and I quickly stood up. I run away from it, and jumped into the other watchtower. There was a pang of relief in my heart. I rubbed at the bindings, and they soon were loose enough to fall to the ground. I whispered a few words, and my wrists healed and the pain was over. I rubbed my white eyebrows, and run upstairs the tower. I stopped short at the sight of the black dragon. It breathed a gust of fire, and then ascended to the skies again. It seemed like... it was after me! I jumped to the roof of the inn, and on ground level, I found the Imperial Soldier that I praised for his courtesy. I run over to him, and crashed onto the ground near him. He looked down with surprise. I looked up, and found his ice-blue eyes. My expression was grim. "I think the dragon is after me."_

_He went straight. "Then follow me!"_

_I nodded, and jumped up. I run after the man, and we soon found a fort. I run after him, even when Ralof beckoned me to come with him. While it's true that I hold no love for the Empire, Hadvar was far more courteous than Ralof ever was. Calling me Dark Elf... pah! At least Hadvar addressed me by my name. I rummaged through the chest near the weapon racks, and my eyes widened. I snatched the ring. My fingers traced the smooth surface, and I smiled at the moon and star on it. My ring. The indisputible proof of my identity as the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar. I slipped it onto my left ring-finger. I smiled shakily. My Moon-and-Star ring. Hadvar's eyes bugged wide open. "I knew you were different, but... you're the Nerevarine?!"_

_I laughed like a little girl. "Yes, yes I am, Hadvar. And I wouldn't stayed dead for very long I guess. I think it was 50 years ago... I was in an Outer Realm you see... I died, and soon woke up alive again. With my soul intact. It was... strange. To be sure."_

_He breathed in awe, and shook  my hands with his, while he had a huge blush. He could make a Blight storm look colorless with that blush. "I always wanted to meet you! I heard the tales of your life on Vvardenfell, and your life with House Redoran. I liked the story about your defeat of the past Archmaster of Redoran. Bolvyn Venim, right? He sure as hell didn't sound nice to outlanders at all."_

_I smiled at him. "Most Nords thought the life of a Redoran is just a 'job'. It seems you aren't one of them."_

_He instantly became grim then. "Would you call my life with the Imperial Legion a 'job'? You wouldn't, simple as that. It's not just a 'job', it's how we live and die. A 'job' is something that only takes a part of your life, but being in one of the Great Houses, Velothi Clans, Imperial Legion, etc... it is something you do every day, every night, every waking and sleeping hour... And that is what life does with us. You lose a job. Okay. Easy enough to lose and find anew. But your life? You wouldn't know what to do without it."_

_I laughed silently. "You could give Vivec a run for his money, and he was the best damned poet I ever met... really."_

_He colored. "Really? And that comes from someone who doesn't even need to think on what to say to a certain subject. Thank you for your praise!"_

_I laughed. "Well, let's go, Hadvar."_

_And so, after taking my things from the chest, we departed. It wasn't the end. It was just... the beginning of the end._

* * *

I sat up and panted from the dream I just had. My hand went through my white hair. Sofie's face suddenly was in my vision. I screamed, and collapsed onto my bed out of fright. "Sofie, be careful! I could have had a heart attack!"

Her eyes went wide and she clutched her mouth. "Oh... Lucia and I found a dead courier, and he seems very... sickly. The letter he held was addressed to you though. In Daedric script."

I stood up from my bed in Lakeview, and furrowed my eyebrows. "Do you know why he died?"

I looked at Sofie and she scratched her head. "He was... really ill. Me and Lucia rather not talk about it... It was horrific, really..."

I nodded, and walked outside. I was immediatly grateful that Rayya hadn't touched the body. I squatted beside the unfortunate Nord man.

His limbs were swollen to an unholy degree, and the skin was a sickly yellow-grey color. His ears were rounded, and the entire body was bloated. "By My Ancestors...!"

The Nord man had Corprus! That's how he died...? I took the letter, and incinerated his corpse, so that people wouldn't acquire Corprus too. True enough, the letter was addressed to me. In very familiar hand-writing. _"Hello, my old friend. Due to certain reasons I'm sure you'll understand, I won't write down my name here. You thought I had died, didn't you? Well... I was still alive. The enchantments would only hold with you on Vvardenfell, and thus, when you disappeared into an Outer Realm we all came back to life. I'm willing to give you a second chance, if only you would come to me. Together, we will make our homeland independent again, free from the Empire and foreign invaders. But outlanders will still be welcome, as long as they hold to the laws of Resdayn. Respectfully, your old friend. May your name, ancestors and children be blessed."_

I sighed out. There was only one person who could write so eloquently. I sighed out, and looked to the east. To... Resdayn. The letter catched fire, and Sofie and Lucia looked up at me. "Mom?"

I looked down to them, and patted them on their heads. "Let's go... home. To the east, to Resdayn. It seems... they need me again. And this time..."

With a bright flash, my armor changed into my best armor. I patted the armor, and looked fondly at the dark-colored Indoril armor. "...It will be thousand times more difficult. Choosing the easy way..."

Two long-blades appeared in my hands. Trueflame in my right hand, Hopesfire in my left hand. "... or the hard way. And this time..."

With another flash of light, the things that the Ashlander Tribes gifted me and the things the Great Houses gifted me with, appeared on my form. "...I'll take the right route, not the one that's obvious."

And with a last flash of bright light, the things that I, myself, earned appeared on my form too. "All set... Let's go!"

Sofie and Lucia both smiled and laughed. I raised Trueflame in a challenge to Resdayn, and held myself proudly. _I'm coming for you, Voryn! And you better hope you're ready for me! Or else you won't be able to come up with air!_

And so, I would set foot on the soil of Resdayn once again. To uphold... my ancient promises that I made 200 years ago! Hope you're happy and prepared, Voryn... because this time, everything will be harder for the both of us, no matter where my allegiance will lie in the end!


	2. Ashen wastelands

Red dragon wings beat down, and I leaned my head back to enjoy the breeze. Sofie and Lucia looked down onto the sea that separated Skyrim from Resdayn. They were in awe. "When will we arrive, mom?!"

I chuckled at that. "Soon, my children, soon."

I squinted a bit when I caught sight of a fastly accelerating being in the distance. My ear twitched when it heard a distant shriek. My eyes widened. _Didn't Jiub say in the Soul Cairn... that he completely destroyed these things?!_

I took the bow made out of bone and sighted the cliffracer. I let the arrow fly, and it flew down. Odahviing thundered over the huge bird, and I could soon see the outline of the city of Vivec. My eyebrows furrowed. All those years ago when I came back... Vivec city was buried beneath ash. So how...? I smelled the air and my nose caught sign of an ash-storm incoming. I looked to my left, and my eyes widened. There it was! "Odahviing, fly faster! There's a Blight storm incoming!"

Sofie and Lucia shrieked in horror at something, and I looked behind me. The cliffracer pecked at them, and my eyes immediately found the yellow on the huge bird. It was Blighted, damn it! Fire exploded from my right hand, and completely incinerated the cliffracer. Odahviing crashed into the High Fane, and I looked up. I blinked in disbelief.

The Ministry of Truth. It hung there, like it always hung in the past. My eyes found someone in the traditional armor of the Ordinators. Indoril armor like the one I was currently wearing. But the woman... didn't have a helmet, making me think that she was of a high rank. When I caught sign of who exactly the person was, my breath stopped short. I jumped down from Odahviing, and run to the female Ordinator. "Melvure Rindu?! How are you alive?!"

I caught her shoulders, and she looked at me desperately. "Oh, surely you were the sign that we needed, Nerevarine! You see, Lord Vivec, Master Sotha Sil and Lady Almalexia all transported us to an Outer Realm when Red Mountain erupted, one where we didn't even age. After that, we couldn't escape, safe for 20 years ago. All of Vvardenfell was buried beneath ash, and Blight storms wracked the whole island. Could it be...?"

I closed my eyes. "That doesn't make any kind of sense. Wait... yes it does! I disappeared 5 years after I defeated Almalexia at the Clockwork City, and found out that she had killed Sotha Sil, and was forced to put her to the sword, and shortly won afterwards. I found out from a reliable source that the enchantment - meaning the Heart of Lorkhan would stay out of normal mortal's reach - would only be maintained through me being on Vvardenfell, but I disappeared that day 5 years after everything went down, and everyone who was bound to the Heart of Lorkhan came back when I went away. I came back 20 years ago, so... damn."

Melvure Rindu listened with wide eyes. "You killed Lady Almalexia... well, she hinted as much, and Lord Vivec too. And Master Sotha Sil."

I pondered this. "But why would they admit to that? Surely, that meant for everyone but you and the other Ordinators that they were the bad guys, and not the good guys."

Melvure glared at that onto the ground. Sofie and Lucia looked up to her. "We do not think that we should still be loyal to them at all. They admitted the use of Kagrenac's Tools, yes, but they shouldn't have in the first place! They freely admitted to murdering Indoril Nerevar too. He was their best friend, their brother-in-arms and one of them even was the goddamned _wife_ of him, and yet they still killed him out of greed! They even admitted... that Master Sotha Sil cast a Command spell on him to fight Voryn Dagoth, so that they could use the tools! And he didn't even use them in the first place!"

I grew concerned. "But what would they gain from this? Do they think I'll side with them just because they came out with the truth? Well, guess what you traitorous bitches, I won't!"

The last bit was screamed to the Palace of Vivec. Melvure laughed. Sofie and Lucia's eyes bugged out at my choice of words. Melvure continued after that. "We found something better to do, though. Now that you're back, you can take up leadership of House Indoril, because Almalexia was thrown out, and all of us who once served the Tribunal gods shall gladly serve you."

I directed my thumps in my direction. "Me...?"

Melvure smiled. "I already know what you think. You're the Archmistress of House Redoran, but it seems that even the Grand Council wants you to be the leader of two Great Houses. You're already the Hortator of three Great Houses, and every Velothi Clan heralds you as their warleader, so you can't get much higher than that. We all find it important to do this. You'll be our warleader, our inspiration to fight against the Tribunal gods who are the real enemies, and with you as our leader... we have nothing to fear. So, we gladly give you our shields, swords, bows, axes and hammers, so that Morrowind... no, Resdayn, will once again be independent! So, what do you say? Will you accept leadership of House Indoril, and be the warleader and protector of the people of Resdayn?!"

Her passion, her righteousness... it made it very easy to choose. But would it be right? When my eyes fell down onto Moon-and-Star, I felt a stirring inside my heart. It was quite some time since I felt that. My mind went into my past life, and as Nerevar, not as Nera'Vaé, I looked at the Great Houses before me. Everyone kneeled around me, and bowed their heads. Only one stood. It was my brother-in-arms, my best friend, and the man who always had steadfast loyalty to me. Voryn Dagoth - Dagoth Ur. "We already know what you think. You're the Archmaster of House Indoril, but all of us want you to be our leader. You're already Hortator of every Great House, and every Velothi Clan heralds you as their warleader, so this is the only honor we are able to give to you. We all find it important to do this. You'll be our warleader, our inspiration to fight against the Nedic who are the real enemies, and with you as our leader... we have nothing to fear. So, we gladly fight with you, so that Resdayn will once again be peaceful! So, what do you say? Will you accept leadership of Resdayn, and be the warleader and protector of the people of Resdayn?!"

My mind went back to the present, to Melvure and Sofie and Lucia, and I looked up. It was easy. Too easy. Back then, I accepted to be the king of the entirety of Resdayn, and now... I'll strive for it again, so that Morrowind will once again be independent and peaceful, and that it is once again being called Resdayn in future years. "I'll accept gladly. The 'Tribunal Gods' will soon rue the day where they were born!"

Melvure smiled and looked down at Sofie and Lucia who looked at me in awe. "And if it's alright with you, we can train them. Berel Sala has a really soft spot for children. And they should be easy to like. You taught us the meaning of manners."

I laughed. "Yes, I did. And I'll continue doing so, Melvure."

She smiled at me, and I ruffled her red hair. "Well then... we will await your command as soon as you issue it."

I became mock-serious then. "Your first order for the day is... sleep, goddamnit! Go on! Shoo!"

I shooed her. She took Sofie and Lucia with her, and I looked at the sky. _It seems... I will soon make a huge enemy out of the Tribunal gods, and made it easier for everyone to notice me. But it's not like I'm not a person that gets strange looks every now and again... well, Voryn, I hope you don't find that to be worthy of retaliation. Because that would be... catastrophic, really. And I can't make sure I won't get angry at you if you do anything like attacking either of my Great Houses..._

I walked after Melvure, and planned what I should do next. Well... going to Blacklight would be a good idea indeed. And sit on the Grand Council. Let's just hope I won't get killed and then resurrected with everyone watching...


End file.
